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The way we test cars and trucks in Europe is obsolete and opaque. This is the root cause of the Dieselgate scandal in which Volkswagen was caught cheating tests for air pollutant emissions. First, there’s an obsolete laboratory test for emissions that has not changed since the 1990s and is easy to manipulate and cheat with today’s more advanced IT technology. Then there’s an opaque so-called “type approval” system whereby new vehicles and automotive components are tested to ensure they comply with EU safety and environmental rules. Once approved these may be sold without restrictions throughout the EU single market.